1. education
2. school

www.arcolarecordherald.com
Volume 153 — Number 30
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015
ONE SECTION — 12 PAGES
Arcola Students
Jump Rope For
Heart Association
Students at Arcola Elementary
School participated last week in the
annual Jump Rope for Heart event
during their P.E. classes. Jump Rope
for Heart is a fun event where
students can jump rope, learn about
their heart and how to keep it
healthy, while also raising money for
the American Heart Association.
Shown at left are Arcola fifth
graders doing “Jump the Shot.”
Shown in the center is 2013 Arcola
High School graduate Cara
Edwards, who is helping Arcola
Elementary P.E. teacher Kim Kennell
with her classes. Edwards attends
Parkland College and needed to
accumulate hours observing P.E.
classes.
ARCOLA CITY COUNCIL
Multi-Family Housing Project Gets TIF Aid
By Chris Slack
The wheels have been set in
motion for the development of
multi-family housing units on the
city’s southwest side.
At its meeting on Monday night,
the Arcola City Council agreed to a
preliminary plan that would provide a Tax Increment Financing
(TIF) reimbursement to Yost
Management Company.
The TIF reimbursement, to be
paid out by the city over a six-year
period, would be in the total amount
of $292,500 to help cover the cost of
acquiring the nine acres of land in
which Riders Place Apartments of
Arcola is being proposed.
Jeremy Yost of Yost Management
appeared before the TIF Advisory
Committee at its meeting last week
and noted that the project is proposed to include 56 units of affordable multi-family duplexes. In the
application for TIF assistance submitted by Yost Management, they
propose to construct eight one-bedroom apartments, 34 two-bedroom
apartments and 14 three-bedroom
apartments.
The development would be all
one-story duplexes and the buildings will be of wood frame construction with fiber-cement siding. Each
home would have front porches and
a small back patio, explained Yost
in the application.
“Each building would have stone
fronts. They will look like singlefamily homes,” said Yost.
He added that rent will be based
on an individual’s income, with Yost
noting the goal of the development
is to offer affordable housing that
will also bring an aesthetic quality
to the area that at present is primarily farmland.
The total cost of the project is estimated in the $10 million to $12 million range.
Yost said that the nine acres of
land on which the development
would be located is being purchased
from Jack and Lynda Fishel and is
located south of the Sarah Bush
Lincoln Arcola Clinic and First Mid-
Court Dismisses FOIA Appeal
The Illinois 4th District Appellate Court,
201 W. Monroe St. in Springfield, has issued
a decision allowing a motion by Arcola
Township to dismiss an appeal filed by a
Paris man in connection with Freedom of
Information cases involving the township.
On January 14, John Kraft of Paris filed a
notice of appeal requesting that “all orders be
reversed that were entered on the complaints
arising under the Freedom of Information
Act.” The appeal filed by Kraft and his attorneys sought to reverse the circuit court’s decision on December 16, 2014, to dismiss four
FOIA suits against the township.
In Kraft’s FOIA suits filed against Arcola
Illinois Bank & Trust facility along
Springfield Road. Arcola Avenue
would be extended.
The TIF committee unanimously
recommended that the council
approve the TIF reimbursement for
help with the land acquisition costs.
Yost said the goal is to begin construction
of
Riders
Place
Apartments by the spring or summer of 2016, with an anticipated
completion date in the spring of
2017.
In February, the council approved
a report from the city’s Plan
Commission to consider a request to
rezone what is currently farmland
behind the Sarah Bush Lincoln
Arcola Clinic to multi-family resi-
dential.
In another TIF-related issue, the
council unanimously approved a
TIF grant to the Arcola school district for a roof renovation project.
The school district is planning to
replace the roof on the three-story
high school building that was built
in 1916. In the application submitted by the school district,
Superintendent Tom Mulligan said
the application is being completed
to get approval for additional TIF
funds allocated to the school district
annually.
This project will be for the 201516 school year.
See City Council...p. 11
A Sure Sign That The Long-Awaited Spring Is Near...
Move Clocks Up An Hour This Weekend
Township, he was seeking copies of public
records and he alleged that he is being denied
the legal right to inspect public records by
Arcola Township. Kraft alleges that the township has improperly denied the FOIA request
by their failure to properly respond.
Kraft was seeking a judgment that declared
the township to be in violation of the Illinois
FOIA and a judgment that enjoined the township from continuing to withhold access to
any and all exempt public records.
According to Appellate Court Clerk Carla
Bender, Kraft’s appeal was dismissed on
February 25 and jurisdiction remains in
Douglas County Circuit Court.
WHAT’S ON THE COMMUNITY AGENDA?
Arcola Rec. Summer
League Signup
Arcola Recreation will be having registration for
summer baseball, softball and t-ball on Saturday,
March 7, and Saturday, March 14, from 9 a.m. to
noon at the pool house concession stand. If you
have Arcola Recreation shirts/jerseys from previous
years, please bring them to registration with you.
Deadline to register for summer league is March
15. Forms with payment may be mailed to Arcola
Recreation, P.O. Box 105, Arcola, IL, 61910 prior
to March 13. Registration forms are available on
the web page, www.arcolarec.org.
Additional announcements are included
below:
Distinguished Alumni
Nominations
Arcola Alumni Association is seeking nominations
for the Arcola Distinguished Alumni awards to be
designated in 2015. Forms are available at the
Arcola Record-Herald, Arcola High School, Arcola
Public Library, Arcola First Bank, First Mid-Illinois
Bank & Trust and on the alumni website at
www.arcolaalumni.org.
You may also contact selection committee members Randy Rothrock, Pat Fortney, Jim Clark, Sue
Stout, Rick Klopfleisch, Emily Coombe or Brad
Pullen to request a form. Nominations are due by
Monday, April 6.
Roberts Fund To
Provide Financial Support
Individuals and organizations are encouraged to
submit written application for funds to be used for
projects promoting growth and leadership among
the young in Arcola community. Applications
should state recent history of expenditures for charitable and service projects, as well as intended use of
requested funds. Please mail requests to Allen
Roberts Fund Selection Committee, c/o Sue Stout,
P.O. Box 112, Arcola, to be received no later than
April 15, 2015. For more information, call Stout at
268-3190.
Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
The Douglas County Farm Bureau invites its
members to attend the 95th annual meeting on
Thursday, March 19, at Yoder’s Kitchen in Arthur.
A catered meal will be served at 6:15 p.m., followed
by a business meeting and entertainment.
This year’s speaker will be David Erickson, vice
president of the Illinois Farm Bureau. Please RSVP
your reservation by Wednesday, March 11, at 217253-4442. Seats are limited.
IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE
Class Of 1975 Reunion
The Arcola High School Class of 1975 is planning its 40-year class reunion. Class members are
asked to send their addresses to
[email protected].
Class Of 1990 Reunion June 26
If you claim the class of 1990 in any way, it
claims you! Save the date for the class’s 25th
reunion for Friday, June 26, in Arcola. If you are
interested in being part of the planning team
and/or to update your contact information, please
email Colleen at [email protected].
Jaycees Regular Meetings
The Arcola Jaycees have their meetings every
first and third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at
It’ll Do. All persons age 21 to 41 are invited to
attend.
Arcola Rotary Club Meeting
The next meeting of the Arcola Sunrise Rotary
Club will be at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, March 5, at the
Dutch Kitchen. The Rotary Club meets each
Thursday. For membership information, contact
club President Bill Wagoner at
[email protected].
Classifieds ........................................10
Courthouse News..............................4
Down Memory Lane ........................2
Obituaries ..........................................6
Sports ..................................................7
HOW TO REACH US
• To fax news and advertising materials to
the Record-Herald, please call 217-2684938. The deadline is 5 p.m. each Monday.
Find the R-H on the web at
www.arcolarecordherald.com
• The newspaper’s mailing address is
118 E. Main St., Arcola, IL 61910.
Phone 268-4950.
• E-mail the newspaper at:
[email protected]